


Never be alone

by carmelfringe



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Airport Fluff, Alternate Universe, Best Friends, Famous Harry, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, M/M, Non-Famous Louis, Romantic Friendship, Sad Louis, i never knew this would be a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 19:22:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8590579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carmelfringe/pseuds/carmelfringe
Summary: "I'm gonna get straight to the point- I'm running away. I'm leaving. I'm so done with living here. So done with routines and doing things just to please others. But mostly, I am done with having to hide my feelings and pretending to be okay and like my heart isn't shattering every time I see the only person I've ever loved being happy with someone that isn't me."or: Louis has been in love with his best friend Harry for years. Now that Harry is a singer with fans all over the world he's wanted by everyone. Louis can't hide the love he has for Harry any longer. Things get too much so he decides to run away. He leaves a letter for Harry. What is Harry going to do after he reads it?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Never in my life have I written anything other than essays for school so yeah. I just had this idea and every time I listened to "Never be alone" by Shawn Mendes I kept imagining /this/ scene happening so I thought I would write it.  
> Side note but I feel like I need to put it out there: English is not my first language so I apologize if there are any mistakes :-)

Unlocking the door, he stepped into his apartment in London suburbs. He deeply sighed and hung his coat on a hanger. The boy headed to the kitchen to make some mint tea and call it an early night. After filming a video for his new single and doing two interviews, Harry was tired as ever. On his way to the cupboard, he accidentally bumped his hip on the kitchen counter.

"Shit" he muttered under his breath.

"Well hello to you too, son. How was your day? A bit tiring I presume?"

Then, after turning around, he noticed his mother sitting on a rocking chair in the living room. She must've made herself comfortable, with her feet perched atop the coffee table, sipping tea and reading what looked like a gardening magazine. She quite often visited him at his London apartment and, to be completely honest, he didn't mind it one bit. It made him feel less homesick but didn't take anything from feeling like a proper adult.

"Tiring, yeah. I actually wanted to go to sleep now. But considering you're here, sleep can wait. What's up, mum?" he asked while settling himself on a sofa, opposite his mother.

"I went with an intention to tell you about a trip I'm going on with your sisters and to water your flowers. You never do that and they're too pretty to wilt. Just looking at them makes my heart hurt.”

"A trip to where exactly? Good idea, you all need that. And thanks for watering my flowers. If they could talk, they'd be thanking you, too."

The kettle made a high pitched sound, Harry went to make his tea.

"Maldives. Robin got a rise recently, we wanted to celebrate and relax a bit. Gemma is stressed over getting into the Uni of her dreams, Lily's worried about her new school and I'm just in a desperate need of a break. But the talk about this trip is not the reason why I stayed for three hours alone in your apartment reading last year's issue of 'Gardening World'. Louis stopped by."

Harry smiled softly but when he turned to face his mother his smile faded. Anne's face held a look full of concern.

"Mum. What's wrong? Did something happen? Is Louis alright?" he asked, heart rate speeding up and anxiety growing with every passing second. Why didn't he call? What was so important that he had to tell him personally? Oh God, is he dying? He can't, Harry's heart won't be able to handle it. He started to breathe heavier, his face paled.

"Harry, honey, relax. Louis is fine. He, however, seemed distressed and in a rush. His eyes were a bit unfocused and a little glossy. But that may be just my imagination, you know I'm tired. He left something for you."

Anne rummaged through "Gardening World" and pulled out an envelope she hid between the pages. She handed it to Harry.

"Read it now, love. Louis didn't look very cheerful, I can tell something is off. " she said and took a sip of her tea. „On it. I’m just- I'm gonna go upstairs. You'll let yourself out whenever you want, okay?”

"Actually I was thinking about cooking you dinner because I know for a fact you were going to eat yesterday's leftovers."

————————

 

Harry sat on his bed and carefully ripped the envelope open. His eyes darted to his name written in italics. The boy sat comfortably and with his heart beating like a drum began reading the letter.

_Harry, I bet you're wondering why in hell I wrote a letter instead of simply calling you. Me, out of all people. Your best friend Louis who hates writing. You'll find the answer to this question at the end of my letter. But first, a short warning: this is going to be sappy so brace yourself._

Harry smiled softly but his heart was still racing.

_I'm gonna get straight to the point— I’m running away. I'm leaving. I'm so done with living here. So done with routines and doing things just to please others. But mostly, I am done with having to hide my feelings and pretending to be okay and like my heart isn't shattering every time I see the only person I've ever loved being happy with someone that isn't me. I never mentioned to you I've been in love with this person for a long time. So long I can't even remember. Because every time I wanted to tell you, something held me back. This something was our friendship. You may think now I'm crazy. But maybe I am? I can't help being in love with you, my best friend since childhood. At first, I thought it was just an infatuation. Thought I would get over it in no time. But then every time I saw you smiling at me, my heart was growing. Every time you touched me, even by accident, I felt those weird sparks dancing on my skin. And now, many years later, it still hasn't changed. Yes, I went on various dates. But you, out of everyone, know these were just simple dates and nothing more. I always told you "It just didn't feel right". I wasn't lying. It didn't feel right because none of these people were you. You can't be in a relationship with someone knowing your heart belongs to someone else. So I just embraced it. But every time I saw you holding hands with your love interests I couldn't help but feel jealous and sad. My heart was breaking but I didn't (and still don't) blame you, it'd be silly of me to do so. You weren't aware of my feelings and even if you were, you still wouldn't had done anything wrong by dating people that weren't me._

_Now that you're famous and living your dream, I don't wanna be a burden. I know I won't be able to hide my love for you any longer and give you more advices on relationships. I won't be able to help you choose the perfect ring for your next girl (because I know you'll find true love, you're amazing inside and out). I need a fresh start. I bought a small place in New York and got accepted into a university there. As you know, living there has always been my dream. However, I can't have a fresh start without moving on from the past. This is why I changed my phone number. I didn't give it to you so you can't contact me. I'm so sorry. But this is the only way I can move on. I can't do it here, not when I see you on daily basis and fall for you deeper and deeper every day. Being close to you felt amazing, I don't think anything will ever compare to that. Seeing you chase after your dreams and succeed made me feel like the proudest man alive. I loved watching you sing your heart out and being on sets for your music videos. Mostly though, I loved how you laughed at things I had said or how excited you got over the simplest stuff. How your eyes sparkled and your dimples popped when you smiled._

_I'm gonna miss having you by my side. I've known you my whole life and I've grown attached to you. You mean the world to me, Harry. I hope you have a good life and we will meet again soon. Right now, I need time for myself. I need to let it go, go out and start again. I know there are some things we need to talk about but I can't stay. Hope you can understand. Tonight I'm flying to New York and starting a new chapter in my life. In the envelope you can find my favourite bracelet, the one I never took off until now. I want you to have it—this way even when we're apart you'll never be alone._

_Always in my heart, Harry_  
_Louis_

Harry hadn't realized he had been crying the whole time until a tear fell on the letter. Louis loved him. His best friend was in love with him. How could he not notice?! The thing that saddened Harry the most was that he unintentionally hurt Louis and made him feel like a burden. He wasn't a burden, never have been and never will be. He was his anchor. It was his warm smile that calmed Harry's nerves and made him feel at home. His constant support and faith in him. Louis always believed in Harry, even when Harry didn't believe in himself. And now he’ll be gone for God knows how long.

Harry dabbed a tissue under his eyes to get rid of the tears. However, it was useless as he couldn't stop crying. He glanced at the bracelet Louis left him—thin, green and blue piece of string he made himself. He really did wear it everyday, the bracelet was his lucky charm. Harry put it on his wrist and toyed with it a little. Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks.

 _Tonight I'm flying to New York._  
_Tonight._

Harry quickly opened his laptop and went to the airport's website. After searching for five whole minutes, he found a list of tonight's departures. One special flight caught his attention: London-New York; 8:30pm. He checked the time. 7:00pm. Exactly an hour and a half till Louis departs.

Harry run down the stairs. His loud thumps caught his mother's attention. She was in the kitchen, stirring tomato sauce. When she looked at Harry, her face showed a look of concern.

"Are you alright? Honey, have you been crying? What's wrong?" She rushed over to him and took in his appearance once again— red rimmed, puffy eyes and glossy cheeks. He was trembling, too.

He looked her straight in the eyes. Straightforwardness was the best policy at that moment.

"Mum. Do I love Louis?” Harry asked while thumbing his shirt nervously.

"Of course you do, sweetheart. He is your best friend, who doesn't love their best friend?"

"No. Not like that. I mean— do I love him in a romantic way? Not the platonic one. Do I have real feelings for Louis?" He sounded desperate. Because at that moment, he really was. The clock was ticking unmercifully, every passing minute brought Louis closer to New York.

"Harry, I'm not the one who should be answering that question. But if you're asking, then something must have happened to make you question your feelings. How do you feel around him? Do you prefer spending time with Louis than with your potential dates? Have you ever thought while being at the cinema with Jessica: God, I wish I was at home chilling with Louis while eating frozen pizza and playing fifa? Breathe and think."

Jessica was a nice girl. Very pretty, smart and funny. They'd been dating for a year. However, they broke up and he can't remember the real reason behind it. Now that he thought of it though, it might had been connected to Louis. Because while being at the cinema, or anywhere for that matter with her, he'd indeed always rant about Louis. _Did you know Louis came up with the lyrics for 'Home'? Do you wanna go carting with me and Louis on Saturday? Hey, wanna hear a funny story of what me and Louis did a week ago?_ Even on dates with an amazing, model-looking girl, his mind was always on his best friend. Had he not been so oblivious, it could've been a clue. Another thing was that he quickly got jealous and possessive when it came to Louis. When he once saw him walking home with a friend from his biology class, how close they were to each other and how hard Louis was laughing, he felt a pang of jealousy. He'd see this boy trying to get close to Louis and he automatically got scared he'd lose him. He was scared Louis would replace him. He'd always wanted to be his #1 and it hasn't changed to this day.

"Shit."

"Don't swear, young man!" Anne scolded him but the smile on her face showed she wasn't really angry about him swearing.

"I'm gonna go. I need to go. He'll be out of my life in an hour and I need to make sure it doesn't happen." He quickly put on his coat and shut the door to the apartment.

————————

Scared was an understatement. Louis was terrified and sad. Was he ready to leave this all behind? To lose Harry just to get over his stupid little crush? The answer is no. He was not ready. He, however, had to pretend he was. He kept telling himself it was for the best.

Suitcase in one hand, ticket in another, he got to the airport. People were staring at him. It's not everyday that you see a person going to New York City bawling their eyes out. But he couldn't help it. New York was nothing if it meant losing the person he loved the most. Now though, he couldn't do anything about it other than just sit there in the lounge and wait for his flight. So that's exactly what he did.

————————

Harry, on the other hand, was stuck in traffic, cursing non stop. His car wouldn't start so he had to catch an uber. The rain was pouring. He started out of the window at the street— people were covering their heads with magazines, some were carrying umbrellas. Everyone was running. Apart from him, of course. His knee was bouncing and his fingers tapped the window anxiously. What if he can't make it on time? No, there's no such possibility. He has to.

When the taxi got to the airport, it was 8:15pm. He had 15 minutes to find Louis on the airport. However, he seemed to forget about the fact that he was famous. So the minute he stepped out of the taxi, people started noticing him. Some girls screamed, then others joined and soon there were paparazzi everywhere. Cameras flashed. He could already see pictures of his crying face on the covers of magazines. But at that moment, he really couldn't care less. Fans looked a little confused the minute they saw him crying and looking wrecked. Harry just ran and ran.

"Attention, passengers. Flight 87B to New York City is now boarding at gate 5."

Harry's heart was in his throat.

"Just hurry up, will you do something well for once?! God, where is he...where is he?" he mumbled to himself, getting more and more anxious. The boy went straight to the gate 5 in hopes of finding Louis there. Then he saw him a standing a few feet away in a queue to the plane. He was dressed in casual clothes and looked a bit tired but still managed to take Harry's breath away. Harry started to run towards him but was suddenly pulled back by the security guard.

"Sir. You're not allowed to be here unless you have a ticket" he said sternly.

"No, you don't understand, I-"

"Sir. I need you to back away. Please don't make this complicated or I'll have to call the police."

"Please, please just hear me out. I have two minutes to tell someone I love them or else they'll be gone forever." He looked at the guy's name tag. "Gary, right? This is all I'm asking for."

But before Gary could say anything, Harry lunged towards the plane. He could see Louis boarding it, however, the distance between was still too big.

"Louis! Louis, please!" Harry screamed but Louis didn't hear anything. The boy used the remnants of energy he had on running and in the matter of 15 seconds was standing right behind Louis. Wanting to make sure he wasn't going any further, he sneaked his arms around the boy who jumped in surprise. Louis turned around and his face revealed pure shock. His mouth was slightly open and his cerulean eyes were wide.

"Please don't leave me." Harry sputtered in one breath. "I know I screwed up but don't leave me, dammit!" he said with a clenched jaw, tears were glistening in his eyes.

"Har-"

"Listen to me. I know you think you have to go, you said so yourself. But there's no need to. Please don't stop loving me. Because I sure as hell won’t stop loving you with all my heart.” the green eyed boy said with a trembling voice, trying to sound as sincere as he could.

"You don't love me, Harry. You just don't want me to go, which I understand. But we'll meet again, don't worry about that." Louis weakly smiled.

"No, no, you don't get it. I love you, I really do. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize it. But I'm glad I finally did. I'm in love with you, Lou. Me, your best friend Harry. I never loved any of my partners. I changed them often because I thought I'd find love and boy, was I stupid because the love I was so desperately searching for was right there in front of me. I was just too blind to see it. You mean the world to me. And I know I sound hypocritical telling you not to break my heart and leave because you leaving is the result of me breaking your heart. But I didn't mean to break it. I'd never hurt you on purpose. Because I love you."

Louis was stunned. This is certainly not what he'd expected to hear. Harry loved him. Their love was mutual.

"Harry. Are you serious? Because if you're not-" his voice cracked a little and he was blinking rapidly.

"I am dead serious. I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I love you. Please, let me love you."

"Sir? Are you coming?" asked the stewardess impatiently. "We cannot wait any longer."

Louis turned to her, smiled apologetically and shook his head.

"No. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience. Have a safe flight."

When he turned to face Harry again, he was met with a pair of lips. The kiss was sweet and timid at first but later it turned into a filled with emotion make out session. They poured everything into the kiss— love, lust, want, need, longing. When both boys run out of breath they smiled at each other sweetly. Harry had this look of adoration on his face. Louis smiled his Harry smile. His eyes crinkled and were filled with happy tears.

Right at this moment, Harry felt as if he was on a cloud nine. This was undoubtedly the best kiss in his life. And since that day, whenever he went on dates, he did not feel the need to tell his date about Louis. He did that anyway, though, because seeing the blush coating Louis' cheeks after that was worth everything and more.

_I've got a hundred million reasons to walk away but maybe I just need a good one to stay._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it! x Find me on twitter if you want to chat: @swiftIouie


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